My move from PC systems to my MacBook Air went smoothly, especially thanks to Parallels. However, I have missed the simple and fast fingerprint login I had on my Slate tablet PC. After recently trying face recognition for login on a Samsung Google Nexus and being very impressed by how well it worked, I searched online for a similar program for the Mac. That is how I came across KeyLemon. Even the free version of KeyLemon offers login using facial recognition.
The paid version includes additional functions such as LemonDay, which automatically takes a photo of the user every day and can create a video from the images. This makes more sense on an office computer that is permanently set up and used by different people. On a MacBook Air, however, it is less useful because the computer is closed when it is not in use or goes to sleep automatically after a short period of inactivity.
The LemonLogin function – logging in via facial recognition – also seems better suited to office computers than laptops. KeyLemon does not always cope well with changing lighting conditions. I was initially very impressed with the free version because facial recognition worked well even in the dark. That was probably because I had also stored my face under dark conditions. The licensed version addresses this by allowing several facial models to be stored in the profile.
Anyone expecting facial recognition to save a great deal of time when logging in will probably be disappointed. At least on my system with an i7 processor, I feel it takes longer before the login screen becomes available. When facial recognition works, however, getting into the system is still easy and relatively quick. If it does not, it is best to click Cancel and use the standard password login. KeyLemon also allows password entry directly in the facial-recognition screen, but that often causes problems. My laptop likes to go back to sleep while I am still typing the password.
Anyone with genuinely sensitive data on their system should avoid KeyLemon altogether, because the software can be fooled relatively easily. I show how in the video at the end of this article. Under those circumstances, however, a fingerprint scanner is not sufficient protection either. Only a genuinely secure password helps. Even so, I think KeyLemon is a successful piece of software, especially in the paid version and particularly because of the LemonDay feature, which takes a photo of the user every day and turns the images into a video clip. More information about KeyLemon is available at http://www.keylemon.com/.
